Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Damian Murriel. It sounds strange, but owning and operating a funeral home has been a childhood dream for Mr. Damian Murriel--at least it has been ever since he started working in the business. Damian Murriel began his first job in a funeral home at the age of 16. Then a sophomore in high school, Damian Murriel performed various custodial services at Cook's Funeral Home. When he graduated from Forest Hill High School in 1994 he left for Gupton-Jones School of Mortuary Science. Two years later after he completed his schooling and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer, he began traveling, doing internships and apprenticeships in other states, including brief stints in Illinois and Indiana. In 2000 he left for a job as funeral director of Gregory B. Levett and Sons Funeral Home in Atlanta, Georgia, where the wake for TLC's Lisa ``Left Eye'' Lopes was held. On April 17, 2003 Damian Murriel's life-long dream to own and operate a funeral home became a reality. ``I never lost sight of what I was pursuing.'' Damian Murriel said ``I want to clean up the area and enhance the community with the funeral home.'' Murriel said. Murriel's motto is: ``Serving Families in Their Time of Need.'' He is a member of the Mississippi Funeral Directors and Morticians Association. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Damian Murriel.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 3361, the Department of Homeland Security Insider Threat and Mitigation Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3361, the Department of Homeland Security Insider Threat and Mitigation Act of 2015, authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to address the homeland and national security risk posed by trusted insiders. Typically, trusted insiders are given unrestricted access to mission- critical assets such as personnel, facilities, and computer networks. While DHS, like other Federal agencies, conducts extensive vetting of prospective employees, there remains a risk that someone who gains ``insider status'' exploits their position to damage the United States through espionage, terrorism, or even the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive national security information. As the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I am supportive of the Department of Homeland Security's current Insider Threat Program. It is targeted at preventing and detecting when a vetted DHS employee or contractor with authorized access to U.S. Government resources, including personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, and systems, exploits such access for nefarious, terroristic, or criminal purposes. While I support the DHS program, I could not support this legislation when it was considered by the full committee because it did not include language to prevent the somewhat broad authority granted under this bill for being used by DHS to deploy ``continuous evaluation.'' Continuous evaluation is an automated system that constantly monitors public and private databases for information regarding the credit, criminal, and social media activities of certain individuals. The Defense Department has an extensive pilot underway, and I am concerned that Federal agencies, with the understandable urge to protect their IT systems and facilities, are racing to acquire this capability before knowing whether such costly systems are even effective. At this time, I would like to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) about some concerns I have with the prospect that the Department will use the authority under this act to establish a continuous evaluation program. Would the gentleman agree that it is important that, prior to establishing any such program under which certain DHS employees would be subjected to ongoing automated credit, criminal, or social media monitoring, the Department engages Congress about not only the potential costs and benefits of such a program but what protections would be in place for workers subject to such program? I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, we live at a time when the threats to our Nation are complex. None of us want to see someone exploit their access to DHS networks to carry out cybercrimes or other criminal activity. Even as DHS works to detect and prevent such threats, it is important that such activities be carried out in a transparent way so as not to compound the chronic morale challenges that exist within the workforce. Each time DHS considers making an adjustment to its Insider Threat Program, thoughtful consideration must be paid to whether the operational drawbacks and costs of such an adjustment outweigh the benefit of such change. That said, I commend General Taylor, the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at DHS, for the attention he has given to the insider threat challenge and look forward to continuing to work with him to bolster security within the Department. I appreciate the gentleman from New York's cooperation and colloquy. I look forward to the successful passage and approval of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3598, the Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 2015. First of all, let me compliment Mr. Barletta for his bill. Those of us who have been around kind of know the confusion that exists among fusion centers throughout the country, and any effort to streamline that confusion is much appreciated. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill seeks to update the law to reflect the evolution of the Department of Homeland Security's National Network of Fusion Centers as well as the relationship of the Department's Office of Intelligence and Analysis with the fusion centers in the network. H.R. 3598, as introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta), clarifies that fusion centers are State- and locally owned and operated and requires the Department's Office of Intelligence and Analysis to provide support to centers in its network through the deployment of appropriate personnel and providing access to information. Importantly, H.R. 3598 also adds several new responsibilities to the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis related to grant guidance, coordinating nationwide suspicious activity reports, and ensuring that fusion centers are the focal points for sharing information. This bill makes several technical changes to existing statutory language to help ensure increased information-sharing resources are made available to Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials at our National Network of Fusion Centers. If enacted, H.R. 3598 will go a long way to providing States and localities that have invested significant resources in standing up fusion centers to participate in DHS' National Network with the support they need to keep their communities and, ultimately, the Nation secure. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support again for this bill and commend the leaders of the committee's Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee, Mr. King and Mr. Higgins, for working together to advance this timely and important piece of legislation. Again, let me thank Mr. Barletta and talk about the longstanding confusion that has existed with fusion centers around the country. When created, it was Congress' hope that everybody would be singing from the same sheet of music. Hopefully this gets us real close to that performance. I urge the passage of H.R. 3598 and look forward to its passage. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3505, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by thanking the chairman of the Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee, Mr. King, as well as Chairman McCaul, for their support of my bill. I introduced H.R. 3505, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act, to make specific reforms in how the Department manages its security clearance process. Specifically, H.R. 3505 addresses how DHS carries out the complex and extensive tasks of identifying positions that warrant security clearances, investigating candidates for clearances, and administering its clearance adjudications, denials, suspensions, revocations, and appeals process. Since September 11, there has been a massive proliferation of original and derivative classified materials across the Federal Government. Along with the enormous growth of classified material holdings has come a sizeable growth in the number of Federal positions requiring security clearances. H.R. 3505 reflects recent regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to help ensure that Federal agencies make correct designations for national security positions and, in turn, avoid the costly exercise of recruiting, investigating, and hiring an individual at a clearance level and salary well above what is necessary. H.R. 3505 seeks to put DHS on a path of right-sizing the position designations for its workforce. Specifically, my bill directs the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that the sensitivity levels of national security positions are designated appropriately across the Department and its components. It also requires the Department's Chief Security Officer to audit national security positions periodically to ensure that such security designations are still appropriate. Additionally, the bill requires the Department to develop a plan to ensure that adjudications of eligibility for a security clearance are done accurately across the Department. Lastly, in response to the growing security threat from data breaches, this act also provides safeguards for the protection of the applicant's personal information. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, my bill seeks to take targeted steps at improving critical aspects of how the Department of Homeland Security administers its security clearance program. If enacted, H.R. 3505 would make DHS a leader among Federal agencies with respect to security clearance and position designation practices. I ask for my colleagues' support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3503, the Department of Homeland Security Support Fusion Centers Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, this bill was passed unanimously by the committee last month, and I am pleased that it is being considered on the House floor today. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there was broad recognition that the traditional stovepipes to the sharing of homeland security information needed to be cleared and that the Federal Government needed to do more to share timely information with State and local partners. A key mechanism to fostering such information sharing has been the development of a network of fusion centers across the Nation. These centers allow Federal intelligence and homeland security information to be shared with State and local law enforcement and other key stakeholders. As of today, 77 fusion centers have been stood up by State and local governments and participate in the Department of Homeland Security's National Network of Fusion Centers. For fusion centers to realize their full promise, it is critical that personnel assigned to fusion centers be able to access Department of Homeland Security information, data, and personnel. In the course of conducting oversight of fusion centers, the committee has learned that not enough State and local analysts and officials assigned to these centers have the TS/SCI clearances necessary to foster the timely sharing of homeland security information and intelligence. H.R. 3503, for the first time, authorizes DHS to sponsor State and local analysts for security clearances. All of us, as the chairwoman has said, have heard from our State and locals that this is, indeed, a problem. The approach taken is consistent with ongoing DHS efforts to sponsor TS and SCI clearances on appropriate State, local, tribal, as well as territorial partners' levels. In the 14 years since 9/11, there has been progress across the Federal Government at breaking down institutional stovepipes and moving away from a ``need to know'' to a ``need to share'' culture. Certainly with the right support and buy-in at the Federal level, the Department's National Network of Fusion Centers holds great promise for fostering more opportunities to interdict would-be terrorists before they attack and contributing to better awareness, preparedness, and responses at all levels. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentlewoman from Arizona for this legislation. Again, this is getting us all on the same sheet of music. We absolutely have to have fusion centers operating in uniformity, and we should not have fusion centers doing their own thing. We are fighting this together. The stovepiping of information is not good, and it is not healthy. We have problems identifying bad actors, terrorists, and what have you. So I urge passage of H.R. 3503, the Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for yielding me the necessary time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge our colleagues to support H.R. 959, the Medgar Evers House Study Act. Medgar Wiley Evers was born in the small town of Decatur, Mississippi, in 1925. Medgar would go on to serve in our country's Army in France and in Germany during World War II. After his military service, Medgar attended Alcorn State University, where he would meet his future wife, Myrlie. After graduating from Alcorn, Medgar devoted his life to seeking justice and equality for all Americans. As field secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi, Mr. Evers led successful voter registration efforts throughout the State. He applied for admission to the University of Mississippi Law School in an unsuccessful effort to desegregate the university. Medgar also courageously led investigations into the death of Emmett Till and publicly supported Clyde Kennard after his imprisonment on erroneous charges stemming from his efforts to integrate the University of Southern Mississippi. On June 12, 1963, as he returned home from a NAACP planning meeting, Medgar was shot in the back in the driveway of his home while his family was inside the house. He died at a local hospital less than an hour later. One week after his death, he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Today, the Medgar Evers House has been preserved as a museum by Tougaloo College. The home has been refurbished to appear as it did at the time of Evers' death. The home contains an exhibit regarding Evers' family, career, death, and his legacy. The home has hosted scores of visitors including many Members of Congress who participated in the Faith & Politics pilgrimages throughout the South. My bill, H.R. 959, the Medgar Evers House Study Act, authorizes a special resource study by the Secretary of the Interior on the home in which his family lived and Medgar Evers was assassinated located at 2332 Margaret Walker Alexander Drive in Jackson, Mississippi. The study will determine the national significance of the Evers home and determine the feasibility of designating the site as a unit of the National Park system. Mr. Speaker, Medgar Evers was a civil rights giant. He dedicated his life to bringing down the pillars that maintained Jim Crow in Mississippi. The heroic life he lived and the remarkable legacy that he left are unquestioned. Today's bill will further cement the role that he played in advancing civil and human rights in our Nation. With that, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 959.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 720, the Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015, a bill that I am pleased to cosponsor. The November 2013 shooting at the Los Angeles International Airport resulted in the death of Transportation Security Officer Gerardo Hernandez. This terrible incident brought into focus the heroism of those who serve on the front lines of aviation security--Transportation Security officers. Unarmed and exposed, Transportation Security officers perform the often thankless task of screening 1.8 million passengers per day, even though they have limited workplace protections and are charged with great responsibility. In March of 2014, I traveled with my committee's Subcommittee on Transportation Security to conduct a site visit and oversight hearing at Los Angeles International Airport to explore what lessons could be learned from the tragic events of the shooting. Through this valuable oversight work, we learned that there was much to be done to address gaps and vulnerabilities within airports. We found that vital equipment, such as panic buttons at the checkpoints, were not in working order. We also found that there were other factors that could be bolstered to aid during active shooter situations, such as interoperable communications, so that every emergency responder would have access to realtime information. The legislation under consideration today is the product of a bipartisan effort to remedy many of the deficiencies identified following the shooting. Before yielding back, I would like to once again give my condolences to the family of Officer Hernandez and to remind Members that, under current law, TSO's families do not receive death benefits. Currently, Transportation Security officers do not meet the definition for a public safety officer; and as a result, the families of TSOs who are killed in the line of duty, such as the Hernandez family, are not entitled to funds from the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Programs. Last Congress, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley) introduced legislation that would grant Transportation Security officers the benefits of other law enforcement officers that are killed in the line of duty; and she plans to reintroduce that legislation, the Honoring Our Fallen TSA Officers Act, today. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this forthcoming legislation so that the families of the men and women on the front lines of protecting our aviation sector are properly compensated if tragedy strikes. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the Senate amendment to H.R. 720. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Katko and Ranking Member Rice for their efforts on this legislation. Through our votes today, we are honoring the life of Officer Hernandez and ensuring that Transportation Security officers, airport workers, and members of the flying public are more safe and secure. With that, Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support the Senate amendment to this bill as well as the Honoring Our Fallen TSA Officers Act. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I appreciate the gentleman from New Orleans for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise for two reasons--one, to talk about what it is to be in the eye of a hurricane and to be without basic necessities for over 10 days because of a hurricane and, two, what it is that our government should do when those situations occur at the Federal, State, and local levels. In my comments, initially, I will talk a little bit about what happened in August of 2005--how, in fact, so many people were impacted as well as what we have done as a government, what we didn't do, and what we should do in going forward. As the gentleman from Louisiana has said, for the most part, both Hurricanes Rita and Katrina ravaged Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and a little bit of Florida, but I will limit my comments to Katrina. In Hurricane Katrina, there were over 1,800 people--from Florida to Texas--who died. In my home State of Mississippi, 238 individuals died. Basically, what we had after that is over 1.2 million housing units damaged, and in my home State, almost 120,000 were completely destroyed. In southern Mississippi, that meant that over 60 percent of the single family dwellings were either destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, and the statistics were worse for rental units. Along the Gulf Coast--the beautiful Gulf Coast where we have the largest manmade beach in the United States--there were over 1 million people displaced. One month after the storm, 600,000 families were still homeless, and, ultimately, 114,000 were housed in FEMA trailers. Mr. Speaker, I don't have to tell you what happened with the FEMA trailers. It was a mess. The government's response to the temporary housing situation could only be characterized as a mess. We fixed it, but during that time, we put people in trailers that had basically been pieced together and shipped to the good people of the Gulf Coast. Many of them had Chinese drywall in those trailers that let off formaldehyde, which, ultimately, impacted the health of everybody we put in the trailers, ostensibly, for temporary housing. We created a bigger health problem. Obviously, we passed legislation to address some of it in terms of the health costs and other things. Ultimately, a lawsuit provided some relief to the families. What we have done in correcting that temporary housing situation is to direct FEMA to not just be the response and recovery agency. We want you to also understand that, when people are in trouble, not only do you come, but you come with the right resources to make sure that you don't create and make life worse for them. After our Katrina experience, we have a more nimble operation, and we have far better individuals who are trained so that, when disasters come, we can respond. The problem that I have goes back, Mr. Speaker, to the comments that a speaker on the other side made. When you are in a disaster, whether it is a hurricane or a flood or a tornado, the last thing you want is for somebody to ask, ``Well, who is going to pay for it?'' These are citizens of the United States of America. The only thing we should say is, ``In your darkest hour, in your time of need, your government will not let you down.'' I would hope that people understand that we are a great nation because we take care of all of our people, especially when the chips are down and when they have no other place to turn. So I would hope that we would not talk about issues of deficit spending when people are being plucked off the roofs of their homes or when they are being dislocated hundreds of miles from their residences simply because they can't get back into their neighborhoods. What I also want to talk about is the fact that, since Katrina, we have made sure that first responders can communicate with each other. There were a number of stories about individuals who wanted to help but who couldn't talk to each other. Hopefully, we have started fixing that interoperability issue so that those individuals can communicate with each other, whether they are paid firemen, volunteer firepersons, or whether they are law enforcement at the State, county, or local level, because, when we are involved in any natural disaster that is federally declared, the constituents who need our help don't want us to get bogged down in the territories. They just want the help. Part of the help is making sure that these individuals can communicate with each other. We had nonprofit organizations. The Red Cross, most specifically, was severely criticized because of its response to Katrina. A substantial number of citizens who were impacted were in low-income, minority communities, and we started getting responses such as: ``We don't know what to do in those areas''; ``We are afraid to go in those areas.'' Yet, if you are part of the national preparedness system, you go and help; you don't try to qualify that help. Part of that agreement we have with an organization like the Red Cross is that you will do better, that you will respond when other organizations don't have the capacity. We are continuing to work on the Red Cross' response to natural disasters in this country. Sometimes they do a good job, and sometimes they don't. What we have to do is make sure that, every time they respond, they respond in a manner that is helping someone. Regardless of people's socioeconomic statuses in life, they are still American citizens. I look forward to continuing to work on that. The other thing we have to work on, Mr. Speaker, is in making sure that the moneys that are sent to the devastated areas don't get diverted to other areas. In my home State of Mississippi, our Governor at the time diverted over $600 million, which was directed to low- and middle-income housing problems, to a port expansion, which had nothing to do with housing, but the flexibility to do it was there. We had a number of people who lost everything they had, and they didn't have any means to come back. The moneys that we sent from Washington to attempt to make those individuals whole and to reintroduce them to the communities from which they had been displaced had been sent to the Port of Gulfport. It is a worthy project, but you shouldn't have to take moneys to do that which were intended by Congress to go for low- and middle-income housing. As of this date, the requirements for that money still have not met the satisfaction of not only the HUD officials, but also of members of the communities. We should not take moneys in times of emergency and fund pet projects. If those projects are worthy to be funded, then let's fund them out of traditional sources and not out of emergency sources. I am concerned that we do that. I want to pay a special tribute to the Mississippi Center for Justice, which has done a wonderful job in pursuing the expenditure of these funds consistent with the intent of those funds. I want to pay a special tribute as well to the Mississippi Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. They have provided witnesses and testimony at hearing after hearing as well as documentation about the questionable expenditures around Hurricane Katrina. As I said in the beginning, as one of those individuals who experienced Katrina firsthand, our government has to step up and help these people in their time of need. What we have done in the last 10 years is to attempt to fix everything that we have identified that didn't work. We have solved our interoperability problem. We have provided training for first responders. We have provided evacuation routes for individuals so that they know how to leave as well as routes for vulnerable populations or whether they are handicapped in some form. We have even created opportunities so that pets won't be left alone when evacuations occur. All of those things are very important because it goes to who we are as a people. So how we treat the least of them in their most desperate hours goes to the character of who we are as a nation. As we mark this 10-year anniversary of Katrina, Mr. Speaker, I want us to understand that it is still a work in progress and that it doesn't matter whether you live in a house on a hill or if you live in a house around the corner that is at a dead end--you are still an American citizen. When things like a Hurricane Katrina happen, you should rest assured that your government will be Johnny on the spot. As I step back from my microphone, I want to compliment the gentleman from Louisiana for leading this Special Order, because we should really understand how difficult Katrina has been for those individuals who were in the brunt. Let me also take a point of personal privilege to talk about the good job that the men and women of the United States Coast Guard did in response to Katrina. They really did a tremendous job in working and in managing a lot of the recovery and response to Katrina. In August 2005, nearly ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Mississippi and ravaged the Gulf Coast. The storm pummeled everything in its path. Over 1800 people from Florida to Texas died, including 238 from my home State of Mississippi. After what felt like an eternity, the storm died down. We inventoried our losses, and the painfully slow recovery process began. 1.2 million housing units were damaged, and 120,000 were completely destroyed. In Southern Mississippi, more than 60 percent of single-family dwellings were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable--and the statistics were worse for rental units. Along the Gulf Coast, over 1 million people were displaced. One month after the storm, About 600,000 families were still homeless, and ultimately 114,000 were housed in FEMA trailers. The recovery process was slow and wrought with mistakes at the Federal, State, and local level. At the Federal level, chain-of-command and coordination failures complicated the quick and efficient delivery of Federal resources, undermining both response and recovery efforts. Opportunities to pre-stage important resources were missed. Interoperable emergency communications challenges and lack of qualified, well-trained, and well-funded emergency response personnel-- capability gaps first identified during the response to the September 11th attacks--persisted. Ineffective and underdeveloped disaster housing and disaster procurement policies dragged out recovery efforts and drove up costs. States appeared to lack capacity to drawdown Federal recovery funds quickly or effectively. For example, my home state of Mississippi was awarded $3 billion in Katrina related infrastructure grants, but by January 2009, it had only drawn down a little over half of those funds ($1.7 million). FEMA allocated $156 million in hazard mitigation grant funds to Mississippi, but the State had only drawn down $40 million two-and-a- half years after the storm struck. My governor at the time diverted $600 million in CDBG funds initially intended for the construction of low and middle income housing to a port expansion project. Parts of southern Mississippi are still feeling the impact of that ill-advised decision to this day. In the aftermath of the storm, Congress overhauled the national emergency management infrastructure by enacting The Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, or PKEMRA. The legislation sought to address preparedness, response and recovery gaps identified through oversight activities carried out by this Committee, including: (1) apparent uncertainty regarding who had authority to coordinate and direct response and recovery efforts under the National Response Plan; (2) ineffective coordination of Federal, state, local, private sector response and recovery efforts; (3) inadequate Federal coordination of preparedness planning, including lack of effective evacuation and temporary housing plans to meet the needs of all of those in a community; (4) lack of operable and interoperable communications to support response and recovery efforts; and, (5) lack of effective emergency alert and warning systems to notify the public of potential threats to health and safety. Nationally, we have made progress on addressing these gaps. For example, we have saved lives by getting people out of danger's path with the Integrated Public Alerts and Warnings System. Our planning and exercise programs have improved relationships among Federal, State, and local responders to facilitate quicker, more effective response and recovery efforts. And we have honed the national doctrine on preventing, protecting against, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from natural and manmade disasters. But significant challenges with long term recovery efforts remain. For example, the Federal government's failure to have adequate disaster housing plans in place before the storm struck resulted in last-minute scrambling to find long-term recovery housing for the displaced. We ended up with botched FEMA trailer contracts that cost taxpayers millions of dollars, and ultimately provided Hurricane survivors with formaldehyde-laced dwellings. A class action lawsuit from 55,000 Gulf Coast Residents against over two dozen mobile home manufacturers was finally settled for over $42.5 million in 2012. Despite this difficult lesson, as we saw in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy, developing viable disaster housing options for regions across the United States continues to be an elusive goal. Although we have made progress on achieving interoperability, gaps continue to hinder effective responses. Despite the horrific loss, survivors demonstrated inspiring resilience. And the American people proved once again their commitment to helping those affected by disaster by sending resources and flocking affected areas to aid recovery. Over the past decade, Gulf Coast residents, with Federal support and the help of volunteers from across the country, have rebuilt much of what was lost. I would be remiss if I did not mention the important work of the Mississippi Conference of the NAACP and the Mississippi Center for Justice. Both of those organizations traveled to and opened offices on the Coast to offer legal services to the thousands of Gulf Coast area residents who needed an advocate to help make them whole. Notably, they filed a lawsuit on behalf of community groups and individuals against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development resulting in a landmark settlement of $132 million dollars for low-income households in nine Mississippi counties. The Mississippi Center for Justice has continued to spearhead numerous Federal and state policy battles to demand and restore safe and affordable housing to Hurricane Katrina's most vulnerable survivors, including thousands of children. The Hurricane Katrina recovery, in many respects, has become a story of American perseverance and generosity--and I am glad we are here to commemorate and honor it this evening.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am reintroducing legislation to reform the Federal Protective Service (FPS). The ``Federal Protective Service Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015'' seeks to improve FPS' ability to carry out its mission to protect the 1.4 million Federal employees and visitors that access more than 9,500 Federal facilities across the nation. After the 1995 domestic terrorist attacks on the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, there was broad recognition that Federal buildings, which are symbols of our democracy, must be protected against terrorist attacks while remaining accessible to citizens. In recent years, the increasing number of terrorist plots against diverse U.S. government facilities in Illinois, Washington State, and New York City as well as attacks on government buildings in other western democracies, such as Canada and Norway, has brought into focus the need to strengthen U.S. Federal building security. Unfortunately, the primary agency responsible for providing such security--the Federal Protective Service--has a range of longstanding administrative challenges that, to my mind, raise questions about its ability to provide adequate Federal building security. To ensure that FPS makes progress on its fundamental challenges, my legislation calls for immediate attention to address staffing, training, and contractor oversight challenges that the Government Accountability Office has identified as problematic. It also directs FPS to not only put in place uniform minimum training and certification standards for all guards, regardless of whether they are contract guards or Federal employees, but develop and implement a strategy for using covert testing to improve performance of security screening at FPS-protected facilities. Importantly, my legislation recognizes that though FPS is responsible for security, the Interagency Security Committee, comprised of Federal agencies that are tenants, has a major role to play in ensuring that risk-based security practices are in use. Specifically, my bill requires DHS to assess the degree to which the consensus standard for risk management, which was developed by the Interagency Security Committee, has been adopted at non-military Federal facilities. My legislation also is forward-looking. It directs DHS to implement a one-year pilot program to research the advantages of converting guard positions at the highest risk FPS- protected facilities from contract guard positions to Federal positions. Additionally, my legislation requires DHS to take a hard look at whether the fee-based system under which FPS currently operates provides adequate resources to cover the actual costs that FPS incurs. Since October 2014, when terrorists attacked government sites in Canada, FPS' has been operating at an enhanced level, at the direction of DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson. The resulting increased tempo FPS' security operations has necessitated the deployment of more law enforcement to higher- sensitivity facilities, increases in the frequency of visitor and vehicle screening, and enhancements to explosive canine detection and patrol operations. Each time that FPS is directed to heighten security operations, new costs are incurred. FPS has no choice but to absorb those costs, often, I suspect, at the expense of addressing longstanding administrative challenges. GAO, since 2009, has identified weaknesses in FPS' oversight of contract guards as an issue. Now is the time, from a security and a taxpayer perspective, to have a long overdue discussion about whether FPS' fee model is designed to not only cover surges in protective activities but also to cover the costs of implementing core oversight and administration reforms that GAO has repeatedly recommended. That discussion must include looking at whether some combination of appropriations and fees need to be part of the equation. Mr. Speaker, with that, I urge Members to cosponsor the ``Federal Protective Service Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015''.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Jerusalem Outreach Child & Adult Learning Center in Charleston, MS. It is locally referred to as JOCI (Jerusalem Outreach Center Incorporated). JOCI was established as a nonprofit organization in the year 2000. JOCI was one of the partners in a countywide effort to provide service to citizens living in hard to reach and underserved communities in Tallahatchie County like Paynes and Glendora. JOCI's goal is to meet the educational and health and social welfare needs of both children and adults regardless of race. Their partner Glendora Economic and Community Development Corporation (GECDCo) focuses on the development needs of the communities like housing, recreation, jobs, and more. In order to achieve the above goals JOCI hosts health fairs and provides a long list of services. The services include, but are not limited to: personal counseling, referrals to outside resources, depending on the issue; social therapy for special needs clients; child care; after school care and services; educational classes; tutoring; and more. Since 2000, JOCI's record of achievement has attracted new partners to their effort: Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute, Quality Stars, the Department of Human Services, and the Tallahatchie Early Learning Alliance (TELA). Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Jerusalem Outreach Child & Adult Learning Center in Charleston, MS for their work in those hard to reach communities in Tallahatchie County, MS.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Thompson-Clemons Post #200 of Greenwood, Mississippi. The Thompson-Clemons Post #200 of Greenwood, Mississippi was the first African American Post established in the State of Mississippi and came about due to the perseverance of eighteen determined Black Veterans of World War I and World War II in the Mississippi Delta. These veterans attempted to join Keesler-Hamrick-Gillespie Post #29 which refused them membership. Given that this was the 1940s and Mississippi being a segregationist state, Post #29 could not get a majority vote of its members to allow black veterans to join their post. The eighteen black veterans filed a petition to start a new post and presented it to the Mississippi Department of the American Legion. Mr. Solomon N. Dickerson, a black veteran, postal worker and co-worker of Mr. Author H. Ritchter, the Adjutant of post #29, worked to get the petition through the District. It was due to their vigorous and persistent correspondence to the District and the Mississippi Department of the American Legion that they were allowed to form a separate post if they could find a sponsor. Keesler-Hamrick-Gillespie Post #29 agreed to serve as a sponsor to assist Thompson-Clemons Post #200 in getting the temporary charter, paving the way for other charters to be granted to other black veteran's groups throughout the state of Mississippi. Originally, the post was called the Mississippi Delta Post #200. Mr. L.H. Threadgill, principal of Stone Street High School, a veteran of World War II, proposed that the post be named after two former students of Stone Street High School, that were killed in action during WWII. The motion carried and the name was adopted. Thompson-Clemons Post #200 was granted a permanent charter on July 28, 1949, becoming the first Black post in the State of Mississippi. The first Post Commander was Mr. Solomon N. Dickerson.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a driven and ambitious woman, Ms. Lucille Lovette. Lucille has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication and a desire to serve others. Lucille Lovette, a resident of Anguilla, Mississippi, is the ninth of 15 siblings born into a family who believed in hard work and didn't believe in handouts. Lovette earned a bachelor of science in elementary education degree from Mississippi Valley State University at Itta Bena, followed by a masters degree in educational leadership and supervision and a specialist degree in educational leadership and supervision, both from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. She began her career as an office manager in 1978 for the South Delta School District (formerly known as Anguilla Line Consolidated School District) under the direction of a great superintendent who encouraged her to go a little further. Lovette was employed by the South Delta School District from 1978-2009, serving as curriculum director, federal programs director and principal. During her time as principal, she led an elementary school with a starting enrollment of some 740 students and 90 faculty members. During her tenure, the students' grade level reading scores on state assessments increased more than 38.4 percent and math score on state assessment increased more than 70 percent. The school achieved an Exemplary and High Performing School rating. Also while as principal the South Delta Elementary School received the Torch Award granted by the Mississippi Department of Education. In 1994 she was one of 13 teachers who were chosen by the state of Mississippi for a six week study with NASA. Prior to serving as principal of South Delta Elementary School, Lovette worked as educational technologist as South Delta Middle School, and has served as an adult education teacher at Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead. From 2009-2010 Lovette served as an educational leadership consultant at Dollarway Middle School in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and Eliza Miller Junior High School in Helena Arkansas. She was employed as school improvement coordinator with the Indianola School district from 2010 until 2011 and from 2011 until 2013; she served as educational leadership consultant for the Jackson Public School District and the Senatobia Public School District. Among the awards she has garnered during her years in education are: the Mississippi School Board Association's School Improvement Beacon Award in 2009; the Mississippi Success for All School Reading Award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007; the South Delta School District Administrator of the Year Award in 2007; Delta State University Educational Leadership Sabbatical in 2001; Mississippi Teacher of the Year State Finalist; Mississippi Second Congressional District Teacher of the Year in 2000; and South Delta Middle School and School District Teacher of the Year in 1998 and 2000. Lovette joined the Yazoo City Municipal School District in 2013, where she served as assistant superintendent and as federal programs director. In February 2015, the Yazoo City Municipal School District School Board named Lucille Lovette the district's interim superintendent. Lucille says, ``Service is the rent we pay for being allowed to live on this earth. We're supposed to give back, so that's key for me.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Lucille Lovette for her passion and dedication to educate our youth and desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant, Mrs. Ethel C. Mangum who is a native of Madison County. Many of her formative years were spent in the Virden Addition Area. She attended school at Walton Elementary and Brinkley High School. At Jackson State University she earned B.S. and Masters degree in Social Work and Guidance. For twenty-eight years she has been an active member of Farish Street Baptist Church and its E. B. Topp Missionary Circle. Mrs. Mangum has done extensive volunteer work which included: teaching and reading at Powell Middle School; serving as Co-Chairperson of Lake Hico Eubanks Creek Neighborhood Association; working as an HIV/ AIDS educator for the American Red Cross; working with children to prevent teenage pregnancy; and motivating them toward moral and academic excellence. Mrs. Mangum has been a ``first'' in opening opportunities for others by becoming the first African American woman to hold a professional position at Baptist Children's Village; the first African American woman to work for Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. Consulting Engineers; and for SCAN (Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect). She was one of two females who integrated the lunch room at St. Dominic's Hospital. Mrs. Mangum currently strives for excellence in the community through her position as Administrative Assistant for Ward 3. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Ethel C. Mangum for her dedication to serving others.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a church family whose desire is to do God's will, Calvary M. B. Church. Calvary M. B. Church has served the Yazoo County community over a century through faith and service. Calvary M. B. Church desire is to bring people closer to the Lord. They want to build the foundation of faith in young people and remind the Yazoo community that anything is possible through love, faith and prayer. Calvary, located on Broadway, began welcoming the community to its services over 100 years ago. November 15, 2015 will mark 131 years of praise, prayer and worship. On April 1, 1889 a small group purchased a lot for $50 which became the site of Calvary. For an additional $35, another lot was purchased along with the original and this site would later develop into the modern day church. According to church history notes the first pastor was Rev. Phillips. As the years progressed the congregation grew, even amidst growth, there were challenges. Small fires struck the church. Over the years several pastors called Calvary home. But it seemed like perfect timing when Pastor RaSean O. Thomas arrived at Calvary in 2009. Pastor Thomas is a product of Calvary. Calvary has a rich history within the Yazoo community, its recent ministries and growth show what can be done through strong prayer and fellowship. Currently, the church has two hundred members and growing. The church has Sunday School, morning worship every Sunday, Wednesday night Bible Study, monthly street evangelism and prayer services, outreach project health fairs, men and women empowerment conferences and other ministries. There is always something going on inside the walls of Calvary. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Calvary M. B. Church for its dedication to serving the community and doing God's will.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Thompson-Clemons Post #200 of Greenwood, Mississippi. The Thompson-Clemons Post #200 of Greenwood, Mississippi was the first African American Post established in the State of Mississippi and came about due to the perseverance of eighteen determined Black Veterans of World War I and World War II in the Mississippi Delta. These veterans attempted to join Keeler-Hamrick-Gillespie Post #29 which refused them membership. Given that this was the 1940s and Mississippi being a segregationist state, Post #29 could not get a majority vote of its members to allow black veterans to join their post. The eighteen black veterans filed a petition to start a new post and presented it to the Mississippi Department of the American Legion. Mr. Solomon N. Dickerson, a black veteran, postal worker and co-worker of Mr. Author H. Ritchter, the Adjutant of post #29, worked to get the petition through the District. It was due to their vigorous and persistent correspondence to the District and the Mississippi Department of the American Legion that they were allowed to form a separate post if they could find a sponsor. Keesler-Hamrick-Gillespie Post #29 agreed to serve as a sponsor to assist Thompson-Clemons Post #200 in getting the temporary charter, paving the way for other charters to be granted to other black veteran's groups throughout the state of Mississippi. Originally, the post was called the Mississippi Delta Post #200. Mr. L.H. Threadgill, principal of Stone Street High School, a veteran of World War II, proposed that the post be named after two former students of Stone Street High School, that were killed in action during WWII. The motion carried and the name was adopted. Thompson-Clemons Post #200 was granted a permanent charter on July 28, 1949, becoming the first Black post in the State of Mississippi. The first Post Commander was Mr. Solomon N. Dickerson.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable school, North Panola High School of Sardis, Mississippi and the great leadership it is under. North Panola High School is a rural high school situated on the eastern edge of the Mississippi delta. For many years the high school has been a part of a school district that had been plagued by low test scores, violence and a negative school culture. The school district had been taken over by the state several times due to year after year low test scores. In July of 2011, Robert King, Conservator of the North Panola School District, hired Jamone Edwards as the principal of North Panola High School. Jamone Edwards, a graduate of Mississippi State University and The University of Mississippi, was the youngest principal the school had ever witnessed. He brought innovative ideas and worked tirelessly to increase teacher morale and create a positive school culture. Under his leadership and the staff's support, the school has made significant gains in the accountability model in which schools are rated. Prior to the new leadership, for many years the school was considered low performing and on academic watch. During his tenure, the school rose to Successful, which is equivalent to a C school. In the 2013-14 school year, Mr. Edwards led the school to its first ever High Performing Status, which is equivalent to a B school. This is a remarkable achievement as the school had never experienced such success and recognition. Additionally, since 2010, the school has many successes to celebrate. The school's graduation rate was at an all-time low of 49% in 2010. Since that time, the graduation rate has risen to 73% for the 2013-14 academic school year. Currently, the high school is projected to have a graduation rate of 85% for the 2014-15 accountability rating. In addition, Algebra I and U.S. History subject area test scores have surpassed the state's average, and English II and Biology I state test scores are slightly trailing the state's average. North Panola High School has also made significant improvement in preparing students for college and acquiring scholarships. In 2010, the mean ACT score was 14.8. Since that time, several students of North Panola High School has scored 20 or better on the ACT. In 2010, the high school graduating seniors had generated $150,000 in scholarship monies. In 2014, the high school graduating class of approximately 80 students received in excess more that $2 Million in scholarship monies creating more opportunities for our children to succeed in college and careers after high school. In March 2015, North Panola High School received an award from the State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Carey M. Wright and the Mississippi Department of Education for closing the achievement gap between black and white students in the area of English/Language Arts and Mathematics. North Panola was one of the only predominantly minority high schools to be recognized with the Distinguished School Award. As a result, North Panola High School received $23,750.05 to further enhance the students' overall educational experience. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing North Panola High School for its dedication to serving our great state of Mississippi and country.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have a privileged resolution at the desk.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding the time. Mr. Speaker, to someone who has lived his entire life in the State of Mississippi and has had to endure a symbol that represented bigotry, hatred, and everything this country is not, I am convinced that an effort to remove this flag from the hallowed Halls of the House of Representatives is the right thing to do. We all know the history of the South. We know the secessionists' motivations behind the Civil War, and my ancestors were those individuals who were held in bondage against their will. We are a Nation of laws. We should not identify with symbols of hatred and bigotry. That flag, those symbols should be put in a museum. They should not be flown under any circumstance where there is freedom and dignity in this great institution of ours. I know it is a hard choice for Members to do, but I saw what happened in Charleston, South Carolina, last Wednesday. The whole world saw it, and they did not like it. This is one step toward getting us healed as a Nation. I take it personally. I have had churches burned in my district. I have had men and women killed for trying to do the right thing; yet, when I see people trying to defend that way of life which that flag represents, this is not who we are as an institution. Because of that, I offer the privileged resolution. I understand where we are with it, but I have issues with it. I appreciate the gentleman yielding the 2 minutes. I urge my colleagues to oppose the referral of this resolution to committee.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tremendous public servant who has dedicated his life to serving the needs of his community. Louis Williams, of Edwards, Mississippi, is retiring from the police force after 39 years of service, 38 of which he spent as chief of police. As an officer, Williams has served as a vital link between law enforcement and the youth of his community as a figure both highly respected and admired. Before joining the police force, Williams coached Edwards' youth baseball and basketball and has continued doing so over the years. His mentorship gave him the relatability necessary to effectively police his city and maintain a healthy relationship with its citizens. The number of adolescents he has coached now spans three generations for many families whom Williams has gotten to know over his decades of service. As police chief, his dedication is unquestioned, as he has made the concerted effort to maintain round-the-clock availability. While Williams views that as a condition of the job, he is greatly appreciated for it by all who have ever given him a call. His career has exemplified how policemen and women can govern efficiently by truly committing their time and effort to their citizens. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Chief Williams for his dedication to serving others.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the House. The form of my resolution is as follows: Whereas on December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first State to secede from the Union; Whereas on January 9, 1861, Mississippi seceded from the Union, stating in its ``Declaration of Immediate Causes'' that ``[olur position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery--the greatest material interest of the world.''; Whereas on February 9, 1861, the Confederate States of America was formed with a group of 11 States as a purported sovereign nation and with Jefferson Davis of Mississippi as its president; Whereas on March 11, 1861, the Confederate States of America adopted its own constitution; Whereas on April 12, 1861, the Confederate States of America fired shots upon Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, effectively beginning the Civil War; Whereas the United States did not recognize the Confederate States of America as a sovereign nation, but rather as a rebel insurrection, and took to military battle to bring the rogue states back into the Union; Whereas on April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively, ending the Civil War and preserving the Union; Whereas during the Civil War, the Confederate States of America used the Navy Jack, Battle Flag, and other imagery as a symbols of the Confederate armed forces; Whereas since the end of the Civil War, the Navy Jack, Confederate battle flag, and other imagery of the Confederacy have been appropriated by groups as a symbols of hate, terror, intolerance, and as supportive of the institution of slavery; Whereas groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups utilize Confederate imagery to frighten, terrorize, and cause harm to groups of people toward whom they have hateful intent, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Jewish Americans; Whereas many State and Federal political leaders, including United States Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, along with Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn and other State leaders, have spoken out and advocated for the removal of the imagery of the Confederacy on Mississippi's state flag; Whereas many Members of Congress, including Speaker John Boehner, support the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of South Carolina's capitol; Whereas Speaker John Boehner released a statement on the issue saying, ``I commend Governor Nikki Haley and other South Carolina leaders in their effort to remove the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds. In his second inaugural address 150 years ago, and a month before his assassination, President Abraham Lincoln ended his speech with these powerful words, which are as meaningful today as when they were spoken on the East Front of the Capitol on March 4, 1865: `With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.' ''; Whereas the House of Representatives has several State flags with imagery of the Confederacy throughout its main structures and House office buildings; Whereas it is an uncontroverted fact that symbols of the Confederacy offend and insult many members of the general public who use the hallways of Congress each day; Whereas Congress has never permanently recognized in its hallways the symbols of sovereign nations with whom it has gone to war or rogue entities such as the Confederate States of America; Whereas continuing to display a symbol of hatred, oppression, and insurrection that nearly tore our Union apart and that is known to offend many groups throughout the country would irreparably damage the reputation of this august institution and offend the very dignity of the House of Representatives; and Whereas this impairment of the dignity of the House and its Members constitutes a violation under rule IX of the Rules of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall remove any State flag containing any portion of the Confederate battle flag, other than a flag displayed by the office of a Member of the House, from any area within the House wing of the Capitol or any House office building, and shall donate any such flag to the Library of Congress.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2200, the CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act. Mr. Speaker, in the years following the September 11 attacks, Congress worked to address many of the preparedness gaps identified by the 9/11 Commission, including the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. Pursuant to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, Congress established the Weapons of Mass Destruction, or WMD Commission. In 2008, the WMD Commission issued a series of recommendations to counter the proliferation of WMDs and build a more robust national capability to respond to such attacks. Subsequently, the WMD Commission and its legacy organization, the WMD Center, issued a series of report cards evaluating the Federal Government's progress in implementing the WMD Commission's recommendations. Unfortunately, each report card found that the Federal Government was not acting quickly enough. In the years since the WMD Center issued its final bio-response report card in 2011, WMD threats have continued to evolve. What we know now is that the threats posed by WMDs are more dynamic and that our enemies are growing more agile. H.R. 2200 focuses on an important aspect of our Nation's ability to prevent, to prepare for, and to respond to a WMD attack--information sharing. At the full committee and subcommittee levels, the Committee on Homeland Security has devoted significant time and resources to assessing Federal activities to address the threat of WMDs. I have heard one message consistently from the witnesses who have come before us: we need to improve coordination and information sharing with State and local governments and emergency responders. Situational awareness is essential to ensuring a robust response to a CBRN incident and to saving lives; and I appreciate Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee Chairwoman McSally's efforts to improve CBRN threat-related intelligence and information sharing. If we learned anything from the 9/11 attacks, it is that information sharing saves lives. From putting desperate pieces of information together, to stopping an attack, to ensuring that first responders are equipped to respond safely and effectively, information sharing plays an essential role in complete situational awareness. H.R. 2200 will improve the way we use information related to evolving threats posed by chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological agents. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2200. I yield back the balance of my time.